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Ants go marching in Kamloops

Image Credit: Wikipedia

KAMLOOPS — A Thompson Rivers University instructor says he thinks he knows why Kamloops residents are seeing so many carpenter ants this spring.

Rob Higgins is an assistant professor in TRU's Department of Biological Sciences - whose specialty is ants. He said the critters' mating cycles are typically triggered by rainstorms, but these ants may have been tricked.

"What happens in urban areas is that when you get everybody starting to irrigate their lawns (the ants) get confused, they think it's a heavy rain and that's their cue to undergo a mating flight," Higgins said. "When that's combined with some hot weather you get mating flights occurring, so you start to notice them out and about."

Higgins added carpenter ants typically seek out water-damaged wood, so they should only take up residence in your home if it already has some water damage.

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